Hastings is touting a couple of structural changes in his proposals, including a statutory — instead of a regulatory — requirement that companies must have a permit before they drill.

“And they have to follow whatever safety regulations the [Interior] department says,” he added. “Listen, I think that’s important. Those are good reforms. Now, if they follow those, and they have the resources that they need, then I think … that permitting process should be accelerated.”

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The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement began to step up the issuance of permits after oil and gas companies in mid-February demonstrated new methods for containing subsea wells. BOEMRE announced Friday that it is granting a permit for a 10th well that complies with new drilling standards Interior issued in September.

In pursuing plans to open new areas to drilling, Hastings is colliding with a Democratic “use it or lose it” strategy that would penalize companies for failing to produce petroleum from leases they already hold.

“I recognize that there are members on the other side of the aisle [who] have been very outspoken about the idea [that] they don’t want any offshore drilling anywhere now,” he said. Still, he added: “I would hope that we can work in a bipartisan manner. There are some members of Congress, Democrats from the Gulf Coast area and from oil country, who would probably want to work with us on those issues.”

As chairman of a key congressional panel overseeing offshore drilling, Hastings acknowledges that he also bears some responsibility for putting out measures that could draw bipartisan support.

“But I can only do what I can do.” He said Democratic senators with different approaches should “pass something. We’ll pass something. Then we’ll sit down and work out the differences.”

Hastings’s committee also has jurisdiction on the growing controversy over the natural gas extraction procedure called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which involves using high-pressure injections of water, chemicals and sand to open cracks that allow trapped gas to flow. While natural gas is enjoying bipartisan backing, it’s also drawing concerns from environmental groups and some lawmakers about water contamination and greenhouse gas emissions.

Some members of Congress want to put the Environmental Protection Agency in charge of regulating fracking. But Hastings said he is more concerned about federal government overreach. “The regulations on the state levels has worked,” he said.

Readers' Comments (22)

No surprise here, this guy was a yes-man for Bush, was the head of the ethics committee, ask him about tom delay or jack abramhoff. And why is this unctious person called "Doc?" Is he a doctor? He's been following the gop line for years.

Remember the pictures of the birds trapped in the oil, remember all the dolphins that were killed, and there must be thousands of animals and fish suffocated in the oil that sunk to the bottom of the gulf that we didn't see.

This guy doesn't care. Do you think he's licensed doctor or fake "Doc?"

Ask him where he stands on medicare, social security. He'll follow the party line and want to be rid of it. I suppose if you support the old doc, you'll just dump your social security, medicare. I'm a Democrat, I do not want to dump my social security or medicare. You republicans and conservatives, if you don't want your medicare or social security, don't sign up, may the old "Doc" will take care of you.

Its been almost one year since the spill and despite $4 a gallon gasoline and against the recomendations of his own hand-picked panel of experts Obama continues to restrict offshore drilling and every other energy resource of value.

Every move made by this administration is based on political ideology and political benefit to the president and has nothing to do with concern for the American people.

Can you imagine next year during the height of the election cycle, 0bama still clinging to the notion that it's good for Americans to be paying $5 a gallon and talking about giving other countries our tax dollars to develop their resources so we can be their customers?

I'm all in favor of drilling domestically; as I've said so many times before - and I'll repeat again - the situation in the Middle East proves that we can no longer rely on a dependable supply of oil from that region. Wherever a substantial amount of oil is discovered in America, however, be it the Gulf of Mexico, ANWR, and now Utah, environmental groups are always there to tell us we can't drill because we'll destroy the wilderness or, in the case of ANWR, less than 1% of the wildlife reserve. What they don't care to see is that, with gas approaching $4.00 per gallon, people, in some cases, will have to decide whether to fill their tanks or put food on the table. Not only would domestic exploration enable the U.S. to be more energy-independent, but it would also create jobs - something this country has a serious scarcity of at the moment.

It's grim out here on the production floor of America. Obama, enviro-whacko Democrats and their stooges in the Departments of Energy, Interior and the EPA are shutting down the economy, with five dollar a gallon diesel and gasoline and a never ending stream of regulation. Obama never did care for or even know those workers, that produce goods and services, with him it's all about pie in the sky, green energy, his high speed rail and electric cars. It's always all about him, not the American people. Hastings understands the economy is energy production and more affordable and plentiful coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower and nuclear will enrich us all. Good for him.

Did no one EVER teach these people the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. After 2 full years of "No, no no." now he says “I would hope that we can work in a bipartisan manner."

Like YOU did?

Then he goes on to say that the State Regulations regarding 'fracking' have worked well. What part of 4 water tables destroyed doe this man NOT understand?

I'm not AGAINST offshore drilling .............as long as the same stringent safe guards are in place that the Norwegians use. They can't be too bad. The oil companies drill under those guidelines every day.

Wall Street speculators, none of whom could take delivery of ONE barrel of oil, and OPEC supply reductions are driving that price, not the US EPA.

Left to their own unregulated devices, corporate America would have no problem with turning America into a HazMat waste dump while exposing workers (they're cheap) to life threatening hazards. One dies, plug in another cheap illegal.

"With gas prices at record levels for April and summer’s peak driving season still ahead, “it’s important that we send a very strong message that we are going to respond to the concerns of the American people,” Hastings said."...

The price of crude is (and has been for years) totally manipulated for purposes of politics, both to effect energy policy and to finance lobbying and candidates-in-pocket-of-industry support via windfall profits.

The current supply of crude worldwide is currently just below 2008 levels, and worldwide consumption is just a tick above 2008 levels (net +2.85 percent), so there is very little change in the supply-and-demand value of crude. And the picture in the U.S. specifically is even more telling....consumption is down from 2008, yet supply is UP more than 13 percent. The cost of crude is now, as we approach the next presidential election, up over 14 percent what it was in 2008, and West Texas Crude is up 148 percent (12/08 = $41.44/brl, 3/2011 = $102.92/brl; source here ) . Funny how crude bottomed out immediately after the 2008 election and has skyrocketed recently as the 2012 campaigns gear up...that trend has repeated itself ever since Carter).

"With gas prices at record levels for April and summer’s peak driving season still ahead, “it’s important that we send a very strong message that we are going to respond to the concerns of the American people,” Hastings said."...

The price of crude is (and has been for years) totally manipulated for purposes of politics, both to effect energy policy and to finance lobbying and candidates-in-pocket-of-industry support via windfall profits.

The current supply of crude worldwide is currently just below 2008 levels, and worldwide consumption is just a tick above 2008 levels (net +2.85 percent), so there is very little change in the supply-and-demand value of crude. And the picture in the U.S. specifically is even more telling....consumption is down from 2008, yet supply is UP more than 13 percent. Yet the cost of crude is now, as we approach the next presidential election, up over 14 percent what it was in 2008, and West Texas Crude is up 148 percent (12/08 = $41.44/brl, 3/2011 = $102.92/brl; source: http://snipr.com/27siwu ) . Funny how crude bottomed out immediately after the 2008 election and has skyrocketed recently as the 2012 campaigns gear up...that trend has repeated itself ever since Carter).

Don't you get it? This is the Administration Energy Policy! Kill as many projects and jobs as possible in the Oil and Gas Industry as quickly as possible. Drive up the cost of fuel and energy as fast and as much as possible. Delay and obstruct any efforts to maintain America Energy Industry for as long as possible. Push the Green Energy Fairy Tail until you've stolen as much money as possible from America.

There should be absolutely no more offshore drilling in the Gulf or anywhere else until Congress passes a bill that seriously addresses the risks of such drilling practices and increases oil industry oversight. It's disgraceful that a year after the BP disaster Congress has still not passed an oil spill response bill. Every hour that oil companies are allowed to engage in reckless drilling, the safety of Americans is at risk. It's time to get the oil companies out of our waters, our communitites, and our politics. Invest in renewables instead.

What I find amazing is that after browner falsified the documents that were used to justify the illegal drilling moratorium, and the experts that put the documents together declared they did not support or recommend a moritorium, she has disappeared into the mists. She has not been charged or prosecuted. She has not been dragged in front of a congressional panel, she just disappeared. That's just not right. She should be barred from ever working for government again. She should be personally sued by everyone in the gulf that lost their jobs and then their homes because of her deceit.

Tell that to the farmers and ranchers that feed this country and the rest of the world, but do so from a distance because we don't take kindly to idiots from the city that think they know everything. Come on over to Kansas and you can dance with my guard dog for a bit, then we'll see if you still think not buying gas is a capitalist decision.

Tell that to the farmers and ranchers that feed this country and the rest of the world, but do so from a distance because we don't take kindly to idiots from the city that think they know everything. Come on over to Kansas and you can dance with my guard dog for a bit, then we'll see if you still think not buying gas is a capitalist decision.

Obama's 2012 reelection campaign slogan: "If you think gasoline is too expensive don't buy it" Just brilliant, the ignorant and foolish, Democrats ought to run on that one. Ninety percent of the economy is carbon. Obama's high fuel and energy prices are a de-facto tax on the working poor and middle class, that absorbs any wage gains. High gas prices drive up the cost goods and services, including food, fuel, tires, clothing, other staples and nearly everything else. I suppose one can think, they are an economic island and can merely "grow their own food" Just remember, instead of heading to the Ranch Store for artificial fertilizer, that was mined by heavy equipment, processed by a gas-fired power plant and transported by truck, just you, fellow enviro-wackos and your house-pets defecate in your garden, like they do in China. Should work for Obama"s America.